Five Ways In Which We’re Exactly Like Our Ancestors

When you take a broad look at the world as it currently is, it’s easy to understand why we’re living in an unprecedented time in history.

With globalisation, the rise of the Internet and mobile technology, and incredible medical advancement, we’re very much living in the future – and very much different from the kind of situation that our ancestors experienced.

But it’s a well-known proverb that those that don’t learn from their history are doomed to repeat it; and while this more often applies to war, genocide, and oppression, it can apply to other facets of life that we don’t even realise.

1. A Love of Alcohol

The global alcohol industry is one of the biggest in the world, and billions of people from all cultures across the planet enjoy a cold drink every now and again. Alcohol is by no means an invention, and historians have discovered that alcoholic beverages existed as far back as 10000 BC. In many ancient cultures, beer and wine were used for medicinal purposes, while others were well aware of the intoxicating effects of the liquid.

2. Gambling

Like alcohol, the gambling industry is incredibly vast, and encompasses just about every corner of the globe, and while we can simply open up a site like https://ausbet.com.au/ to play our favourite games or bet on sports, our ancestors had it a little different.

In Ancient Rome, for example, the general population enjoyed a variety of games, and while gambling was illegal for the most part, it was so common that law enforcement often didn’t bother hauling the perpetrators in.

3. Loving Our Pets

We often imagine that animals like dogs and cats were popular in the ancient world due to their practical purposes, whether it was for hunting or keeping a rodent population under control.

But evidence points to the fact that the Romans, for example, kept pets in their homes, and even named and played with them. And it didn’t just include pets, but snakes, sheep, horses, and even weasels were some of the more popular pets kept in the Roman household.

4. Socially Unacceptable Language

For as long as there has been language, there have been handfuls of words that were not accepted by society, more commonly known as swear words.

While it varies from language to language, swearing has been around for thousands of years, and there is much evidence to indicate that swearing was extremely common with the Romans and other ancient cultures.

5. Tattoos

It’s widely accepted that tattoos have been a part of human culture for thousands of years; with the earliest evidence being the form of the simple tattoos found on Otzi the Iceman, who lived during the Copper Age.

Christian Crusaders were also known to bear religious tattoos, and many Northern European cultures would tattoo sacred symbols on to their skin. The Romans were also fans of ink, and there are even records from Roman doctors who would perform tattoo removal procedures.